Annabelle versus Chucky: Who is the scarier doll?

Deadly dolls are a hallmark of the horror franchise. But lately, there are two who are battling it out to be on top. Who is scarier? Chucky or Annabelle?

Two creepy dolls, two successful horror franchises, two chances to die indescribably terrifying ways. If you ask someone to name two dolls in horror they’re afraid of; they will undoubtedly list Chucky and Annabelle. These two aren’t the only freaky dolls out there lest we forget Blade, Brahms, Dolly Dearest, Billy the Puppet, and more.

But these days with Child’s Play getting a reboot and Annabelle the star of the unyielding The Conjuring franchise, it’s not hard to see why Annabelle and Chucky are often pitted against one another.

The promotional marketing for Child’s Play cashed in on the rivalry by creating a poster of Chucky killing Annabelle. It doesn’t get more competitive than that. So which doll truly comes out on top?

Let’s start with Chucky. He’s been in more movies overall with the Child’s Play franchise having eight films in total and a SYFY television series in the works. Chucky is created when a serial killer transfers his spirit into a Good Guys doll at the local toy store before dying.

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Throughout the franchise, Chucky’s kill count comes in at around 50. There is some wiggle room with that number depending on whether or not you consider the many versions of Chucky as the same figure or not. In short, he’s killed a ton of people.

The most significant difference between Chucky and Annabelle is that Chucky does the killing himself. Annabelle is more of a beacon for demonic entities.

Annabelle has never been personified. Sure, she moves around the house, seemingly on her own, but she doesn’t talk. She doesn’t wield a weapon. Yet wherever Annabelle goes, death and trouble follow. She has undoubtedly been responsible for many deaths and torment.

Plus, Annabelle is based on a real-life haunted Raggedy Ann doll that Ed and Lorraine Warren kept in a locked case. The real Warrens had a museum of the occult in their home, similar to the artifact room depicted in Annabelle Comes Home.

It’s no argument that Annabelle is super creepy. I wouldn’t want to wake up to find her staring at me in the dark. However, she also doesn’t kill people hands-on. Maybe it would be fairer to compare her to Brahms from The Boy.

Like Annabelle, Brahms is more of a beacon for the creepy real-life Brahms living in the walls of the house. Annabelle is arguably much scarier than Brahms since she has an actual demon attached to her.

Ultimately, I have to name Chucky the winner. The fact of the matter is, Chucky gets his hands dirty and Annabelle, well she sits back and lets her horned demon and other entities work for her. Plus, she hasn’t succeeded in killing nearly as many people due to being thwarted frequently by the Warrens and other film protagonists. Now Valak, on the other hand…

What do you think? Which doll is scarier, in your opinion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Child’s Play and Annabelle Comes Home are now available to purchase on digital, DVD, and Blu-ray.